Where every day in the kitchen is an adventure!

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It is really enjoyable to get great new inspiration for dishes and also straightforward approaches to fix them. My husband and I made this dish for our the evening meal last saturday. One and all loved it, I will be preparing it regularly now.

So your a Soup Slerper hey!!
I love Chicken Ramen Soup also widely available and I have also tried it in Taipei,Beijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,Hong Kong,Singapore and Macau! But I also Love Japanese Curry …But how can you beat “The Spiral Staircase” in Narita ….all you can eat Gyoza,Chicken Teriyaki,Potato Wedges,And Mixed veg with The biggest refillable glass of Soda all for 1500 yen …..Fantastico!

Hi! is this similar to the dressing you made for the salad you brought today? I was trying to remember all the things you said were in it.. any chance you could post/email the recipe? I seriously loved it.
Love your cooking blog 🙂

Instructions:
Heat vinegar and white sugar together in a pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool and add other ingredients. Before serving, shake well in a jar/sealed container to mix the oils and sauce together, serve.

Sounds delicious!!!
Hope you’ve recovered from the food poisoning. Totally sucks!
Had rice puddinng last night at Banks Thai in Newtown and it was quite diff from what I’ve had before. It was a square block with a thin layer of black rice pudding at the bottom and then rest was white rice. They garnished it with custard and choc sauce. A nice change to the usual mix.

Heheh thank you Grace. Seriously though this cake was soo-crazy easy.. you just cut it out to a template (which is as easy as tracing a picture through paper lol), cover it with icing and then throw decorations on it..

Speaking of which! I know the boys’ birthdays are in January. Which day was it again? (Sorry I forgot) But I am planning to make something.. Did you have any requests either? (What kind of stuff are the boys loving right now?) 😀

Thanks Lorraine.. It was soo much easier than I thought it would be! Next time I want to try a couple tiers or a taller cake.. and maybe some cachous and a paler pink frosting.. oh how i love girly cakes!

Love the review and the pics! On our company night out we were tossing between meant & Wine co. or Etch.. I personally love to go to Etch because I am big fan of Justin North. But to satisfy the “qauntity” meat lover…was end up at meat and wine. The creme brulee here seems different as it is not in a reminkin but like a piece of cake but which prove it is not soggy and unset. The price of $110 for 5 course is also pretty reasonable priced.
Thanks for the La Grillade
recommendation…that will be on the list next !

Thank you for your lovely comment Wendy 🙂 Definitely try Etch out! I am excited because I’m going to visit Becasse with a friend in March. Etch is pretty good as well because the a la carte is also very reasonably priced for such nice place.

Yeah it was quite unusual having the creme brulee out of the ramekin but it worked surprisingly well.. I have no idea how they managed to get it on the plate like that though.. – creme brulee custard is so delicate..
Hope you enjoy La Grillade! I am just dying to go back!!

Thanks Chanel 😀 It was sooo easy! The only thing with this recipe is that it gets quite hard in the freezer, so I recommend zapping it in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds to make scooping it out a lot easier 🙂

I am suuuch a sucker for scones.. I saw some on Joy the Baker (chocolate, orange and buttermilk) that i can’t stop thinking about! haha. so cool you’ve been too! it was such a random place for us to visit hehe

Oh man I LOVE going through the toasted sandwich stage.. But I do think it goes in stages! You have like a month where you eat nothing but toasted sandwiches and then you forget the sandwich press for ages. Then you rediscover it, months later and it begins all again.. haha. my favorite part is the melted cheese 😀

i agree! i used to really hate greek yoghurt, but i’m coming around.. especially with this vanilla bean black swan version – i’m addicted! have you tried it before? soo good. i’ve also been using this in smoothies with frozen cherries, banana, yoghurt and milk.. love the little hint of cinnamon 🙂 is there really anything better than cinnamon and vanilla? *sigh*

Great job Christine… I love them too, not just because I had a truck load of egg whites 🙂 Hey, did you find that you can’t put too much of icing on the piping bag at once, otherwise they melt because of the heat of your hand? I tried to put just enough of them, or otherwise the last remained icing will be slightly runny and turned darker as well?

Yeah I have found that they melt quite quickly.. Plus if it stays in the fridge too long it gets very hard so needs to be room temperature. I’ve also found when you serve it on the cake when its cold, it tastes not very nice – just like cold butter.. but at room temperature its SO much nicer! I do also find that it changes colour sometimes.. Often when I colour it after it has just been made, it will not take the colour at all but a couple of hours later, it is much darker? I don’t know why it does that? 🙁 Although one time I made SMBC (plain not coloured) and left it in the fridge, then used it later and the colour bound to it beautifully straight away. It seems like it needs a ‘resting’ time..?

Apples & cinnamon – the perfect combination on a cool, autumn afternoon! Btw, just read your comment in the blog too… thanks so much! Oh and we’re similar in so many ways now more than ever too as I just got recently engaged so uhm yes a few of my regular browsing sites now includes wedding sites. Eep! HEHE!

Hehe well you would definitely be forgiven because planning a wedding is exciting stuff! I do love couscous cooked with extra flavours like this and currants are such a nice addition to give it a sweet pop 🙂

Yeah give it a try! I’ve made this for a couple of friends who are sworn enemies with currants but they surprisingly liked it 🙂 They’re not *too* noticeable and I love the little bit of sweetness it gives. But you can definitely add as little / as much as you like 🙂

This was a lot of deliciousness in one post! I like going to friends regular haunts because they always know what is good. Also I’m going to try caramelized onion and goats cheese together now! I have both in the fridge! 🙂

I think you are right. It is quite hard to mix the colour straight away without resting time. It is just like mixing oil and water. I wanna try the one with strawberry puree to top the strawberry cupcakes… 🙂

good advice but i was never really that passionate about it! sadly.. i found it a bit too scary for me!.. i got pretty petrified of making mistakes and it was like a nightmare when they actually happened. i’m glad that pressure is gone..

I know, the cals in pearl milk tea is quite deceptive, sadly.. haha. I stopped having it so frequently after I heard about it. Although I’ve heard of this new one called Chatime that is supposed to be really good, so I’d really like to try it..

[…] I received an email from one of my loyal commentator on my blog saying that she have given me the award and that I don’t have to follow the rules. I absolutely honored to receive this award knowing that some people actually enjoys my blog. Having this award passed to me really made my day. Thank you Christine You can read her post about it here. […]

[…] it again! also soo easy. i also added some frozen cherries to the mousse. piped the ruffles with swiss meringue buttercream. Grated dark chocolate and tried to make a heart shape using a heart shaped cutout of baking paper […]

Thanks Wendy 🙂 If you like cake decorating, I say give it a try! Honestly the first time I looked at a ruffle cake I thought it would be really fiddly and difficult, but it is honestly one of the easiest decorating tricks I have ever learnt.. If you want to try it, watch this vid! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHYX0qXDVy0
It taught me everything I need to know about ruffle cakes! 🙂

Gorgeous! I’ve been in love with the ruffle cake decoration, this makes me want to try it myself! Haha don’t worry I’ve forgotten to add baking powder to my cakes before. I even forgot to add eggs once, that was a disaster!

Thanks Christie! Yeah, I took it to church and it got nommed pretty quickly, and also because the cake was so dense, a lot of the mousse squished its way out so the pics I took didn’t look the greatest, hehe.

Christine, I’m so so sorry to hear about this. I only met Dyan a few times, but like you said she was certainly a memorable girl. My thoughts are with you and the others who must also be devastated by this loss. x

oh yeah, canned corned beef is the bomb. in the Philippines, my relatives make this delicious corned beef hash with tomatoes, garlic and diced potato on rice. ohmygoodness it is soo good but insanely calorific (like most Fillo foods it seems, haha)

Thanks Steph 🙂 Yeah.. I made the mistake of accidentally melting my butter when trying to make a batch of garlic butter the other week.. Naturally I went with the panicky “ITS STILL GOOD” philosophy and now I have separated garlic butter in the fridge.. haha. Still .. sorta works!

i really like your food pictures and want to invite you to try out tastingspot.com. it’s for anyone that just wants another place to submit photos and share it will other foodies. It’s still in beta version, but would love for you to start adding some photos and help get it going.

Oh….Christine !!! Those photos are divine ! You make me soooo hungry !!! We have discovered a new Chinese Restaurant near our place (the other one is too over priced and not the best of quality)…Hopefully this new one will become our fave…

Actually, we choose not to eat honey because of the appalling conditions under honey is industrially manufactured–they kill the hives (hundreds of thousands of them) annually, just before winter, and in fact due to their inhumane cultivation of honey the world is now suffering a bee shortage crisis. So perhaps before you make a snide remark about someone’s lifestyle choice you should get your facts straight.

[…] I especially love French toast with fresh blueberries and maple syrup. I had them here with blueberries I picked myself with some friends in Bilpin. They also go really well with these honey garlic glazed sausages. […]

I have cooked many macaroni cheese recipes and tasted Heston’s. It was very good. Adding chopped onion and experimenting on different types of cheese can make a big difference to the flavour. Always one of my favourite dishes over the years. Thanks Christine!

I was tempted to try making the chips myself but got turned off at all the effort Heston puts into making them.. this was lots easier hehe. And a total bargain for only £4.50! That’s like less than $10AUD… Man I wish they had them here lol

You certainly made the most of your time in London. And it looks like you were there on a day when the sun was shining – what a rare thing. I love the look of the restaurant and making ice cream right there in front of you must be quite theatrical. What an amazing experience. Good on you for dining there on your own xx

$44 seems like great value. I have not had a churrasco for a long time, last one being at Wildfire which is a little more pricey but bloody awesome. The variety is so good that I find it hard to even go for seconds if I spread it out thin to try most things. I would want to go for a good work out and run, starve for a good part of the day before turning up for dinner 🙂

Oh yes great value for money considering the quality and quantity of food you get! I think its worthwhile paying a bit more for good churrasco – in previous experience its totally worth it! But yeah a workout would probably be highly recommended for this one, haha.

Hahah just like me! You know I was so surprised at the high quality of the desserts they served there – you would think that a place specializing in such a meatfest wouldn’t do such great desserts but they do!

I’m so glad that you enjoyed it there Christine! We loved the food and that beef rib was so, so amazing! David is also really lovely, he had no idea that we were writing a review when we visited and we had superb service from beginning to end and that drool worthy food 🙂

I love a good degustation indeed! It cuts down all the ordering angst when there are just too many yummy menu items that I simply must try! That rib does look yummy, and how funny about the chicken breast- although I only like the thigh myself too 🙂

You can really see that they care for the customers, even down to the portion control because there’s nothing worse than feeling so full that you cannot enjoy a delicious, quality meal. It looks delish and love the ode to the Japanese garden!

I have a soft spot for finger sandwiches made with white bread, especially the boiled egg sandwiches which are so easy to gobble like 20 in about 5 minutes! I heard the Stamford Grand would be pulled down soon to make way for high rise apartments in that area though.

Ugh really?! That is soooo pricey 🙁 I’ve been finding that the price of high tea has been going up quite a lot lately and as much as I like it, it doesn’t seem all that pricey to put together some tea and cakes right? $30 I reckon is quite reasonable 🙂

Girl, you got me hooked on this! I love choco. I love banana. and peanut butter…I’m sold! (Ugh ok, I’ve been staring at your lovely picture for too long. I think I better make one for breakfast tomorrow).

That’s great. What a good snack. We often have banana sandwiches here with honey but you’ve taken this snack to a whole new level with the chocolate. Don’t chocolate and bananas go so well together! xx

hi i like to try this…but here in UAE we have a humid temperature outside.if ever im going to make this frosting and decorate it in my choco roll (top with frosting) will it melt while on my way to party even i am inside the car only? coz i really want to try this..thanks..

Hey Allain thanks so much for dropping by my blog.
Depends on the temperature in the car. It is quite a stable buttercream but as it is butter based it does need to be kept in cool conditions. I would say that if your car has air conditioning it should be fine, but it can’t be left outside in high temperatures for too long. Hope this helps!

I love Sorrento. I’ve only been once, but I definitely want to get back there. Such a pretty part of the world. Sounds like you had a fabulous dinner! Thanks for discussing it, and the hotel – sounds like a place we should consider next time we’re there!

I totally agree! I think Sorrento was one of my favorite places of my Italy trip.. and would also love to return 🙂 Definitely have a look at the Grand Hotel Angiolieri if you’re back in that spot – its fantastic value. Also has awesome tripadvisor reviews which convinced us too! Thanks for dropping by John! 🙂

Oh wonderful!! I’d love to revisit again one day – there are sooo many places I missed and we spent a full two weeks exploring it. I’m sure you’ll have the best time and I would highly recommend Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Just stunning!

I love admiring how pretty food is too! I love the desserts, and I might have done the same by ordering a third dessert! That chocolate selection just looks stunning. I’ve never been to Italy before, but this place looks like it’s worth going to!

Its pretty much one of the reasons I’m obsessed with Pinterest… Pretty food. Haha. I’d never been to Europe before so Italy was my first time and I absolutely loved it. We only had two weeks there and I wish we had more :(:(

Wow, look at those dishes! As boring as it sounds, I’m actually loving the breadbasket…I’m such a carb-lover that I’m almost drooling just by looking at the photo. And how cute are those paper coverings on the chicken?

The view’s to die for as well…did you get any good photos of the sunset? I imagine it was stunning.

Actually the breadbasket was probably one of the most interesting ones I’ve ever had! It was massive haha. And I loved that they had such a big selection to choose from for just two people.. Haha and yes I loved those paper coverings on the chicken teehee so adorable..

Unfortunately didn’t get that many great sunset pics here (mainly because I was too busy stuffing my face haha) but I did enjoy it 🙂 It was beautiful!

Oh yes definitely visit! Its also quite close to Pompeii which is handy for ancient history buffs/nerds (like myself hehe) and the Isle of Capri where you can take some pretty cool boat tours. Thanks for dropping by x

Aww, thank you Erika 🙂 There’s always next time..! I’m betting there were so many amazing places I missed out on our trip and I can’t wait to go back one day and find them all! Oh travelling, so little time, so many places!! hehe

Aww, thanks so much Kristi that’s so kind of you 🙂 The food in Italy certainly is something else! I got seriously addicted to buffalo mozzarella over there (the taste AND the price. haha. itss soo expensive in Sydney ='() x

This is all so beautiful, I’m nearly crying over here!!!! I find food to be pretty too (so no worries there). And BOY is it stunning…I mean, even the butter is picture-worthy! Thank you so much for sharing this with us…what a great mini-“vacation” from my laptop =)

It really does, Australia does not compare.. It was so amazing to just walk around in side streets and realise that all the architecture is just 100s of years old… We really have nothing like that here and I loved experiencing the history in that unique way.

This recipe is definitely worth trying I reckon! And the good news is that if you do somehow manage to wreck them (although I doubt that’s possible!) the recipe is SO easy to whip up another batch to try again. And with ingredients so cheap, there’s nothing stopping you! 😉 Give them a try, I have faith in your baking abilities 😀

Oh Christine, you do know how to make me salivate! (charming I know lol!) have had this recipe before and it was delightful, however I have also tried my hand at the same recipe and they turned out like rock cakes. Hmmm… maybe it’s time to put that disaster behind me and give it a whirl again. I didn’t knead the mix when I tried it, but used a flat edged knife like my grandmother taught me, so maybe that is where I went wrong… we will see!!

Ah yes I too have known the pain of baking mishaps! Maybe time to get back on the horse and give it another go! I love that this recipe is very cheap to put together too, so you can always give a couple of tries if need be 🙂 Hmm I sometimes use a butter knife, but also a wooden spoon works pretty well for me too 🙂 Good luck Allysia! xx

Lemonade scones are the best! I actually did a bit of an experiment at the start of the year using other kinds of fizzy drinks, instead of lemonade, you may find it amusing. I tried creaming soda, ginger beer and apple cider as well as the staple lemonade http://bellyrumbles.com/2012/01/creaming-soda-scone-anyone/

If you are in the mood to, go the experiment route, was a lot of fun 🙂

Um….these are brilliant. Like Albert Einstein level. Who would’ve though you could make something so soft and puffy that serves as the BEST vehicle for add ons with such little to begin with? Book marking to make VERY soon!!!

Yep! This is the exact recipe my grandma taught me. It’s basically fool proof! My hubby asks me to make these at least once a month, but really it’s only a carriage for his jam and whipped cream obsession ;P

Whoa… thank you for sharing the pictures of amazing dishes! I definitely remember this place and try it on my own when I get to visit. I love their sophisticated way of plating and all dishes look stunning!

Do you mind me asking how much the Groupon was? I find with Groupons that the offers tend to come around every two months or so – it might be worth me keeping an eye on it to see if it comes around again!

Oh great! I love finding high tea that’s a little closer to home than the city 🙂

Yes of course! The Groupon was $44 for two people ($22 each.) The link we used is here (http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/sydney/Boronia-Tea-Room/716260934)- which has a bit more information. There’s a pre-order button, which I haven’t used before but I guess you could potentially have a look around there? Definitely worth keeping an eye out for 🙂

I’m ECSTATIC to hear that there’s such a variety of savory available at high tea…I’m so interested in those tiny, dainty bites (it makes me feel like I can eat a zillion and it’s ok because they’re miniature)!

I was just about to say that the sandwiches look like Pacman! An interesting selection of desserts too, although I’m not sure how much ladylike composure you could maintain plucking that jelly off the plate. lol

Hi Christine, what a divine house and high tea! I love your photos they are so clear and sharp. Next time I’m in Sydney I’ll have to spend some time in Mosman. Glad you enjoyed your high tea it’s a nice way to treat yourself.

I love Boronia House. It’s so beautiful. Did you know there’s an identical house right next door? I believe two brothers built the two houses so they could live side by side. The other house is in a very bad way and the front yard has been sold off and turned into a car wash – such a crime. I’m so pleased Boronia House has been retained. It’s such a beautiful look into life in Australia from long ago. I haven’t been to a high tea but must get there! xx

[…] cooking videos and was lucky enough to sample some at his restaurant in London at Dinner by Heston. The theory is, since the ice-cream freezes mega-quickly due to the super low temp of the nitrogen, […]

What a cool place! The creepy factor for Halloween is fun. I just love the concept of liquid nitrogen – I wonder where I can get some? 😉 What a swell new kitchen toy! Really entertaining post – thanks so much.

Hi Christine, Great to meet you at Eat Drink Blog. Isn’t this a fabulous icecream shop! I first met the guys from here at Crave a few weeks ago, and was very inspired by their enthusiasm (not to mention their icecream!)

Wow what awesome halloween decorations, although my kids aren’t as tough as your god daughter and would be terrified. An interesting concept for ice-cream…. wonder if it will be an idea that would spread around Aus?

I’m interested to know as well – I’ve seen lots of people interested in the idea but others think its a tad gimmicky. Who knows? Maybe it will be a long lasting idea or it could fade out after a few years due a drop in popularity..

Which food processor did you buy? I’ve been toying with the idea of buying one since watching Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals (he uses it for EVERYTHING, and it makes it look SO easy), but I’m on a budget and can’t really spend more than $200. The good ones all seem to be at least $500+!

Hey Amanda! I bought the Ninja Pulse – its an American brand that you can’t really buy in shops here, but I bought mine off the home shopping channel, haha. I’ve never bought anything off there before but did a bit of research online and it was reviewed really quite well so I decided to invest in one (the good food processors here DO seem really pricey!!) I paid $215 for the whole thing (including shipping) and it was buy one get one free (I gave the other one to my Mum lol.) I think that deal still applies atm as well. You get two magic bullet style mixers (half a litre each) and also a larger food processor bowl (1.5L). I probably sound like an ad but I actually really love it and definitely worth the money. Plus loads cheaper than most brands in stores! If you want more info or to buy one, the home shopping number I used is: 1800 335 335. Hope that helps! xo

I love the looks of your choco-mint cake, but I was trying to click on your apple cake. Both of the cakes link to the Choco-Mint one.
I found your blog through a link on Delicioux (was ther an e in there?)

No worries. I also learned this myself this year! I also have an ice cream maker but I never drag it out and its so involved.. making the custard the night before, freezing the bowl, etc. It definitely produces great results but I enjoy a quick fix now and then too hehe. Thanks for dropping by! x

Happy Birthday! It’s my first time here and i’m already droooooling! These brownies look good but I scrolled down a little further and saw you made Mango Gelato. Mango is my weakness. I’m going to go read that post now. 😛

These brownies look so pretty! And I praise your planning efforts! I haven’t made a single Thanksgiving dish yet this month, I will only start my Thanksgiving cooking this Thursday :), but you’re already baking for Christmas! Bravo!

Heheh thanks Julia! Ooh I’m so jealous of Thanksgiving – we don’t celebrate it in Australia but turkey, sweet potato and pumpkin pie sounds pretty amazing to me! Would love to do my own one day! I bet yours will be amazing!!

I love the sound of these Christmas brownies! The cherries would go so well with the chocolate here … I will have to give this a try the next time I make brownies. And they look so elegant with the white fondant – a perfect idea for Christmas.

Thanks so much Simon! Coming from you, that’s a huge compliment!! I shoot using a Canon EOS550D and my fave lens, the nifty fifty heehee. Such a great lens (although I must admit I often have to go far away for my shots because its so zoomed in LOL)

LOveeee your photos!! I also use a Canon 550D and used to use the 50mm a lot too. It’s too bad I missed out on the event. 🙁 The food looked delicious and so nice to get to meet Dianne Jacob! I totally love her book. 🙂

Love the nifty fifty! I considered upgrading for awhile but then Peter from Souvlaki from the Soul convinced me to just learn to use my lens properly before upgrading as it can be an expensive game to play.. hehe